If you're old enough to recall a time when Teenage Mutant Turtles were 'Heroes' rather than 'Ninjas', then you'll no doubt be surprised at the evergreen status of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's quartet of anthropomorphic amphibians.

Since their inception in a parody comic book in the '80s, the "Heroes in a Half Shell" have starred in multiple TV shows, headlined several Hollywood movies, and, of course, spawned multiple toys and video games.

The latest of these Turtle Powered-video games is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run (TMNT: Rooftop Run), which is based on the brand-new CGI show from Nickelodeon.

As the game name oh-so-subtly suggests, this iOS title takes place high above the streets of New York, where your Turtle of choice attempts to outrun a UFO belonging to the evil alien race known as The Krang.

IAPs explained

Despite TMNT: Rooftop Run carrying a premium price tag, you are expected to dig deep if you want to unlock all of the content quickly.

You can purchase 3,600 coins for 69p / 99c, or go completely mad and pick up 180,000 coins for a whopping £34.99 / $49.99.

Because it takes so long to gain cash via normal play, it's hard to avoid the temptation of paying out even more money to unlock content.

Although it can be filed neatly in the 'endless-runner' drawer, there are a few gameplay elements which set TMNT: Rooftop Run apart from its contemporaries.

Pizza time

While your primary aim in this game is to get the best distance possible, it could be argued that a more vital commodity is the coins you collect from defeating the various enemies attempting to prevent your escape.

You use these coins to purchase new characters, weapons, and gadgets, all of which make each subsequent run that little bit easier.

Another thing to consider is your health. It's constantly dropping, you see, and you need to collect glowing green orbs in order to top it up. If you succeed in totally filling your health bar, you trigger a special sequence of reaction-based attacks that result in a hefty dollop of gold if successfully overcome.

Cowabunga!

The addition of combat - which requires excellent timing - and the need to go out of your way to collect as many orbs as possible means there's plenty for you to think about during a run.

This can prove to be slightly frustrating, for cheap deaths - usually the result of falling down a gap in the scenery - are commonplace on account of your having to concentrate on several different things at once.

It's also rather annoying to discover that much of the additional content takes ages to unlock. Well, unless you resort to using the game's in-app purchase system. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be an issue, but the fact that the game carries a premium price tag at the time of writing makes the IAP 'push' a bitter pill to swallow.

Despite its shortcomings, TMNT: Rooftop Run still manages to provide plenty of finger-friendly entertainment. It's sure to click with existing fans of the franchise as well as younger newcomers to the series who are discovering the Turtles for the first time thanks to the new show.